According to the invention an expandable stitchery frame has visible markings placed at the longitudinal center of each of its side and end pieces. Tension is applied from the frame to the fabric directly in the plane of the fabric by expanding the spacings between side pieces and end pieces. While doing so, the expansion movement is controlled so that a center point in the fabric remains substantially aligned with all four visible markers.
According to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention the end portions of all of the side and end pieces are of substantially identical configuration. When one of the frame members is inverted relative to another and they are arranged to form a right angle, their adjoining ends have tongue and groove structures which are interengaged, and each frame member may be moved away from the other associated frame member along the longitudinal axis of the other without interrupting the interengagement.